Need to quickly scan a document? Tom Merritt recommends these five scanner apps.
Whether you’re filing paperwork for your business, taxes or any other byzantine legal requirement that involves reams of paper, you may need a scanner. But these days, you don’t need a physical machine – you can use your phone to scan documents.
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Here are scanner apps for your phone worth checking out.
SEE: iCloud vs. OneDrive: Which is best for Mac, iPad and iPhone users? (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
If you need reliable text recognition as a PDF scan, Adobe Scan is your app. It doesn’t do a whole lot else, but for a lot of folks it’s enough, and the app integrates with Adobe Cloud. Adobe Scan is available for Android and iOS.
If you need reliable text editing and to output scans not only to PDF but also to Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, then Microsoft Lens is the scanner app for you. The app doesn’t do much beyond scanning, but it gets the job done. Microsoft Lens is available for Android and iOS.
If you’ve been waiting for me to mention custom folders, smart file naming, iCloud syncing and automatic uploading with multiple document types, then SwiftScan is the scanner app for you. SwiftScan also features optical character recognition in multiple languages. The app follows a subscription model on iOS and requires a one-time fee on Android, although the Android version doesn’t include all of its features.
If you live in Dropbox or Box, the scanning features on those mobile apps are perfect if you just need to scan a document for easy storage or sharing.
If you’re hesitant to use a third-party app, just use what comes on your phone. If you have an iPhone, use the Notes app. Tap on the camera icon and follow the instructions. For Android users, launch Google Drive, tap the + button and choose Scan.
Scan over these choices, and I bet you’ll find one that looks good.
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Tom is an award-winning independent tech podcaster and host of regular tech news and information shows. Tom hosts Sword and Laser, a science fiction and fantasy podcast, and book club with Veronica Belmont. He also hosts Daily Tech News Show, covering the most important tech issues of the day with the smartest minds in technology.
